Last Friday, I had my weekend to-do list all ready. It revolved around getting prepared to start school in person: my 6-year-old on Monday and 4-year-old on Tuesday. Their name tags, water bottles, backpacks, lunch plans, were all ready for assembly. A few last-minute items to arrange and obtain, and we’d finally be back to school!

Then the email came. Early Childhood Education (ECE) at Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS) couldn’t start on Tuesday; they were on the wait list for government inspections and a new requirement was added: every student entering ECE had to get a full physical, including a blood test, and it had to be done at Beijing United Family Hospital (BJU) in a very specific department, or it didn’t count. 

The whole process went smoothly, just a lot of paperwork to register.

Now, not every ECE in Beijing finds itself in this predicament. Maybe the older classes were prioritized and some smaller schools were able to meet the requirements faster. YCIS had their inspection scheduled last June when the small summer outbreak happened, and so it all got pushed. 

Most ECE schools across Beijing required a physical but not from a specific hospital and department. That’s the part of this snag that gave me the most stress, to be honest.

I called the number and was told that the department was overloaded with these appointments and so I had to go to the family practice instead. No one could directly tell me if that would work for these specific government requirements, but I made the appointment for 5.30pm on Tuesday and hoped for the best. 

I dragged them across town to a place we’ve never been, all so the youngest in our family could maybe go to school one day this year. Not much about government inspections was in my control, but obliging for the one thing his school asked of me besides patience is doable. It’s fine. I’m so grateful to be in a city where the pandemic was taken seriously and schools actually have, you know, real plans for reopening safely. I’m happy to jump through the hoops. 

The hallways at BJU are bright, clean and inviting.

The staff at BJU was wonderful, patient,  and easy to communicate with. I did the song and dance with balking at what it would cost, then was given explicit instructions on the “letter of guarantee” needed from my insurance. The receptionist even gave me the email address to send the letter of guarantee once I had it. The entire process from start to finish went swimmingly.

If you’re new to BJU, here are the steps to registering for your first appointment:

• Ask your DiDi or taxi driver to take you down the driveway; otherwise, you’re stuck walking the kids down a narrow two-way path that doesn’t have a sidewalk.
• Expect your typical Health Kit and temperature checks at the door. If you’re wearing a cloth mask and not a surgical one, they’ll give you the proper one to wear. 
• Directly inside and to the left is a snack bar, which is a good place to replenish the kids while you fill out the paperwork.
• Go to the front desk to complete paperwork: passport numbers, insurance, etc will be necessary. I heard that typically you need a guarantee letter from your insurance a week in advance, but they let it pass this time. It’s probably due to the short notice given for these ECE appointments.
• They’ll lead you through the doors behind reception, where you’ll complete more paperwork while your kids turn upside-down stools into rocket ships. There’s a cool interactive down the hall which kept mine occupied for quite a while. I disinfected it before they put their grubby little hands all over it, though!
• They called my 4-year-old to check his height and weight while I was still completing paperwork. His big brother went “to help him in case he has trouble.”
• Then we were brought into the check-up room by our doctor, who was lovely and worked so beautifully with my little guy. He found her directions easy to follow. 
• Last, we did the blood draw. Everyone has different experiences around needles, and the actual prick wasn’t bad. What got my kid upset was when they had to squeeze the blood out for what felt like five minutes. A real needle and blood draw would have been better in this case, but now I know.
• We didn’t leave until after 6.30pm, so it’s possible they do have lollipops but we were there too late to get them. I’d suggest bringing your own lollipops just in case. Some expectations just keep the hospital process going much more smoothly.

So if you need to get a special physical to start school, or just want to try Beijing United Family’s Pediatric ward, it should go pretty smoothly. Bring lots of snacks, lollipops, and have all your information for paperwork ready. The good news is that with all this information and some additional paperwork, their ECE students will start school between today and next week! What a Herculean effort by the staff, teachers, and parents at YCIS.

KEEP READING: “So You Want to Become a Doctor?”: Facing the Reality of Medical School

Photos: Unsplash and Cindy Marie Jenkins